Amacam ? Seronok bercuti panjang sempena Hari Wilayah dan Thaipusam ? I have a week’s worth of fabulous guest posts in store for you while I’m gone… and I hope you will give them all a warm welcome. :-)
SO, why we should travel ?
After a lot of thinking and reading about this subject….here are some of the reasons I think that traveling is a lot more important that we think it is (or at least than *I* thought it was in the past.)
1. Reduces Stress
Travel gives you an opportunity to relax and de-stress. It gives us a break from our fast-paced lives. Of course, traveling can be stressful in its’ own way, but travel stress is positive stress, not the kind of anxiety caused by work or tension related to home life.
2. A Necessary Escape
It sucks to be stuck in a rut. Everyone knows what that’s like. Travel can be the perfect solution.
In the dead of winter, with a foot of snow awaiting you outside your front door, what could be more tantalizing than a swim in the deep blue waters of Jamaica? A trip of any kind provides you with a break from the norm, and that alone can inject you with energy. It’s therapeutic to make a change from your daily routine — doing so prevents your mind and body from stagnating.
3. Learning & Education
Seeing the world provides a source of education impossible get in school, teaching you things like economy, politics, history, geography and sociology. While not an accredited institution, the school of travel is always taking applications.
4. Get Outside Your Comfort Zone
Traveling helps you to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. It provides us with a whole new perspective, whether that means no longer sweating the small stuff or promising to get out there and meet new people upon returning home.
Completing a long-awaited trip also gives you the satisfaction that you were able to accomplish what you set out to do, and gives you the confidence to do it again!
5. Regain Your Enthusiasm For Work Life
Traveling is refreshing and revitalizing. Relaxing at home during the weekends isn’t always enough to truly unwind. Taking periodic trips help to recharge your batteries and better handle the stress at work. After a break, you’ll feel more energized to return to work. Without these breaks, you may suffer work burn out.
6. Adventure
No one looks back fondly on a trip to the dry-cleaner. But after ziplining in Costa Rica you get a feel for what being an active human being is like (again). The need for adventure is hardwired; travel lets you tap into it.
7. Sharpens Your Mind
Being placed into a new environment engages a dormant part of your mind. On vacation you might be required to navigate unfamiliar places, read foreign languages, try new things, make quick decisions, and choose your new eating and sleeping schedule. Unlike at home, all the new sights, sounds, and places will require mental processing and filing. Your brain will welcome the workout!
8. Appreciating Home
Getting away for awhile, even though it requires effort, will greatly enhance your attitude and productivity once you return home. Breaking up the monotony for a while is a great way to give your life an injection of excitement.
I always love to go, but I equally enjoy returning home. Just as distance allows me to grasp new possibilities, it also helps me to greatly appreciate what I have.
9. Memory-Making
If I were to ask you about your past year – what stories would came up to mind? I doubt you would tell me about the hours you spent at the office or at the gym. It would most likely be the traveling you did. The people you met. The extraordinary experiences you had that you didn’t expect.
When we travel with our friends and family, we create memories that last a lifetime. Sharing a special trip with those we love the most is truly a joyful thing! Giving them a wonderful traveling experience far outweighs the benefit of buying presents for them. Goods have a limited life span, memories last forever.
Whether you need to take a few weeks off to avoid the stress of work or need time off to contemplate where your life is headed, traveling should be your answer. Every trip changes you. Big or small. You never come back from a trip quite the same as before you left.
I’ll see you in a week….but I promise not to change TOO much! :-)
